Waukesha committee approves renewal of license for bartender Stephanie Miller

The Waukesha City Licensing Committee voted to approve the renewal of a license for Stephanie Miller after reviewing prior offenses and hearing legal guidance on how to assess rehabilitation.

Committee members examined a DUI from a little over two years ago that appears on Miller's record and discussed whether the lapse in time and lack of subsequent offenses indicated rehabilitation. Brian, from the city attorney's office, advised the committee to consider the nature of the offense, the time that has passed, any intervening offenses and patterns of frequency when weighing renewals. He said, "The idea is to see whether the amount of time that's passed since the last offense indicates a rehabilitation," and added his personal view that a five-year period is an appropriate benchmark for some offenses.

Miller's agent, Jalyn Knabe, told the committee the DUI was an isolated incident and described the circumstances that preceded the arrest. Knabe said she does not drink at work and has been bartending for about 18 years. Knabe told the committee, "I never drink when I bartend," and described the June incident as something that "still puzzles me to this day." The committee asked whether Miller had any subsequent offenses; none were reported during the review.

A motion to approve the license renewal was made by Alderperson Van Trieste and seconded by Alderperson Manion. The committee conducted a voice vote; members recorded on the record included Halvinsleben (aye), Andre Estee (aye) and Manion (aye). The committee announced the motion passed. Committee staff said the renewal will still appear on the full council agenda and the clerk's office will follow up with the applicant after the council meeting.

The committee's discussion distinguished between rehabilitation assessment and punishment: the city attorney emphasized discretionary review by the committee when offenses relate to duties of license holders, noting the public interest in licensees who must enforce alcohol laws. The committee explicitly considered the two-plus-year interval since the DUI and that the applicant remains employed in the industry.

The committee approved the renewal and directed clerks to process the application for the next council agenda.